Machine for making axes



(No Model.) I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

' E. ROGERS.

MAGHINE FOR MAKwe AXES. No. 275,273. .i Patented Apr. 3, 1883.

N. PETERS. Phowljlhogrlplwr, Waxhlflgum. D. C.

(No Modl.) 2 sheets-sheet 2.

E. ROGERS.

MACHINE FOR MAKING AXES.

3 8 y l 3 mm n k p A d 6 b n 6 M I 6. P AN II III ll|mimnll|| N. PEIERS. Phutvkkbognpbmr. Wanhinghm. n. c.

UNITED STATES ATENT FFICE.

ETElAN ROGERS, or oonons, NEW YORK.

MACHINE FOR MAKING AXES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 275,273, dated April 3, 1883.

Application filed June 17, 1882.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ETHAN Roenas, of Cohoes, in the county of Albany and State of New York, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in the Process of h Ianufacturing Axes, and the machinery used for that purpose, of which the following is a full and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in the process of manufacturing axes, and to machinery for eifectuating my improved process; and

the objects of my improvements are, first, to

cheapen the cost of manufacturing axes by decreasing the amount of manual labor required for producing them, and, second, to economize time and fuel by omitting several of the reheatings of the ax-blanks that are required by the present process of manufacturing axes.

To this end my improved process consists of the following successive and progressive steps: The ax poll or blank manufactured in the usual way in any ax-poll machinery is taken, while it still retains the heat required in the operations performed in the last-named machinery, and by the aid of an eye-pin or mandrel inserted in the eye of said poll it is placed in a clamping device and held while its proper end is mechanically split open to receive the slip of steel for forming the hit or cutting -edge of the ax. After the said slip of steel is inserted the ax-poll is placed in a furnace and brought to a welding heat. It is then subjected to the action of anysuitable mechanical hammer until the steel strip is welded in place and the bit of the ax is partially shaped. The poll, while still hot from the last-described operation, is further heated,

and by the aid of an eye-pin'or mandrel fixed in its eye it is placed in the machine (No model.)

the ax is completed, ready for grinding. It

come cold from the time the poll is first formeduntil the ax isfinished, ready for grinding.

In the usual and common process of manufacturing axes the metal is permitted to become cold after each progressive step in the process, and from that cause much time and fuel are needlesslywasted. In my process the operative who welds the steel slip to the poll and partially shapes the bit does not complete the forging and refining of the cuttingedge of the ax. The latter steps are performed mechanically hymyinachine, and thereby the manual labor of two men, always heretofore required to perform that work, is dispensed with, and a great saving of time and labor is effected. By my process one workman will produce as many axes as three workmen can under the old process, and the same number of axes can be produced with onethird less fuel, and for these-reasons it is obvious that the cost of manufacturing axes will be greatly lessened thereby.

The machinery which lhaveinvented for the purpose ofeflectuatingmy process isillustrated in the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification, and in which- Figure 1 is a-front elevation of the machine; Fig. 2, an end elevation of the right-hand side of the same; Fig. 3, an elevation of the left- -hand side; Fig. 4, a vertical section at the line or m on Fig. 1, and looking toward the right-hand side; and Fig. 5, a vertical section at the line 3 3 Fig. l, and looking toward the left-hand side of the machine.

As shown in the drawings, A is the basepiece, A the side pieces, and A the crosspiece, all of which are combined to constitute the frame-work ot' the machine.

B is a driving-shaft fixed in bearings at the rear side of the machine and kept constantly running while the machine is in use. Said shaft is provided with the cam-disks O, G, and 0 each of which has a series of wipers, 0, formed thereon, as shown in Figs. 2 and 5, for the purpose of imparting an upward movement to its respective drop-hammer, as hereinafter described. The said shaft is adapted to receive a rotatory motion from any motive power by means of belts, gear-wheels, or other suitable appliances.

D is a crank-shaft, which has its bearings to in the upper portion of the side pieces, A, and cross-piece A Said shaft is provided with three cranks, d, d, and (P, for the purposes hereinafter set forth. A gear-wheel, E, placed near one end of the shaft D, is fitted to run loosely on said shaft, and is provided with lugs e, which form one part of a clntch-couplin". A sliding hub, F, adapted to slide on a spline, 0Z fixed in the shaft D, and provided with lugs f, which engage with the lugs e on the gearwheel E, constitutes the complement of the clutch-coupling. Said coupling is adapted, by means hereinafter described, to be automatically disengaged, whenever the shaft D has accomplished any whole or any half revolution, at the option of the workman operating the machine. A pinion, E, secured to the shaft B, gears into the wheel E, and thereby the latter is kept revolving, whether the shaft 1) is in a state of rest or not.

At one end of the machine there is a pair of clamping-jaws, G, pivoted at g, and operated by the bent levers g. The said levers are connected by the rods to the arms h ofa treadleshaft, h, which is provided at one side with a treadle, H, and at the opposite side with a counter-weight, If; This part of my invention is designed for the purpose of clamping(in the manner of a vice) and holding to a certain center the end of any sized ax-poll that may be placed between the clamping-jaws,.(said center being the cutting-edge of the knife, fixed in a hammer hereinafter described,) and thereby the hot aX-poll will be securely retained in position while it is being split to receive a slip ofsteel. The followingis the operation of this part of my machine: While the operative continues the pressure of his foot upon the treadleH the shortends of thelevers y will bear against thejaws G to force said jaws toward each other, both jaws being adapted to move exactly the same distance; but as soon as the pressure of his foot is removed from said treadle thecounter-weight It? will cause the intervening mechanism to raise the outer ends of the. levers 9, so as to move the short ends of said levers downward, where they will engage with the arms to force the jaws Gr apart and release the ax-poll from its grasp.

Directly over the center line of the jaws G there is a drop-hammer, I, adapted to reciprocate in guides 1', and provided with a spring, 2 for the purpose of driving said hammer forcibly downward. At its lower end the said hammer is furnished with a splitting-chisel,1, whereby the splitting of the ax-poll is effected. While the splitting-hammer is not in operation it is held at the extremity of its upward movement by means of a spring catch-lever, J, the lower part of which is broken away in Fig. 2 to show the underlying parts. When the shoulder of the said catch-lever is drawn from under the hammer I the said hammer arbors 70.

will be forced down by the spring z" into a position where'it will be raised by the wipers c on the cam-disk G which engage under a toe, 1' formed on the hammer I. As each wiper is carried by the rotations of the disk 0 from beneath the too i the said hammer is forced downward with sufficient energy to drive the splitting-knife 1 into the edge of the ax-poll g Upon the releasement of the lever J its spring j will force it back and engage its shoulder beneath the hammer I to terminate the reciprooations of the latter.

At or near the middle of the machine there is fixed apai'r ofclampingjaws or dies, K, which are pivoted to the bed-piece A by means of The adjacent faces of said dies are fashioned to the form of the sides of an ax, and at the outer sides of the dies K the slides K arearranged. Thesaidslidesare reciprocated by the cranks d and d, and are provided with inclined cams 7a, which on the downward movement of said slides engage with the upper ends of the dies K and force thesaid dies to close toward each other. Said slides are also provided, near their lower ends, with projections k (shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1,) which on the upward movementof the slides engage with the tails 7.1 on the lower ends of the dies K and force said dies apart. Directly over the center line of the dies'K there is a drop-hammer, L, provided with a head, I, by which the head of thean is upset, and the swaging of the bit and sides of the ax is completed. The downward strokes of said hammer are effected by the spring Z, and the upward movements by means of the wipers on the eam'disk G, in the manner already described in respect to the splitting-hammer I. A self-acting spring eatch-piece, Z is adapted to engage under the lowerend of the hammer L and prevent it from reciprocating. A hand-lever, l connected by the rod l to the catch-piece l affords the means for preventing the latter from engaging under the hammer L whenever said hammer is required to operate. This part of my invention constitutes the swaging mechanism of themachine, and it operates as follows: Before this part of the machine has begun its work the crankshaft D is motionless, and its cranks stand at their highest point of revolution, holding the slides K at the extreme point of their upward movement, with the dies K wide open. Apartially-formed ax, as it came from the process of welding in the steel slip, and having been ICC further heated, is (by the aid of an eye-pin or of swaging the edges.

drop-hammer L, provided with a head or die, I, of proper shape, is set in motion, and its blows delivered on the head of the ax upsets and swages that part of the ax. When the last-named operation is completed the hammer L is stopped by the mechanism before described and the crank-shaftD is caused to make another ha1frevolution, returning to the point of beginning, whereby the slides K are raised until the projections L on the lower end of said slides engage with the tails k of the dies K, and cause the latter to open and release the ax from their grasp.

Near one end of the machineis arraugcdau edge-swaging mechanism which is composed of a slide, M, reciprocated by the crank (1 and provided at its lower end with a die, at, made to conform to the required shape of the outer edge of the ax, and of the bed-die, 112/, made to conform to the inner edge of the ax. Both of the last-named dies are provided with eye-pins m which enter the eye of the ax to swage and form the same to its proper shape, and to retain the said eye in shape while the edges of the ax are being swaged. dies are also provided with guide-flanges m so formed as to swage the sides of the outer and inner edges of the ax their entire length, and at the same time they prevent the ax from being distorted or misshapen by the operation the machine there is a drop-hammer, N, for refining and finishing the bit of the ax. Said hammer is raised by the cam-disk G, and its downward stroke is effected by a spring, n, in the manner hereinbefore described in respect to the hammers I and I}. The lower end of said hammeris provided witha head, a, which cooperates with an anvil-block, M, to effect the process of refining and finishing the bit. A spring catch-piece, n is arranged to engage under the hammer N when it is required to suspend its use, and a treadle, nflis connected to said catch-piece, so as to withdraw it from under the hammer when the latterisrequired to operate.

An eccentric wheel, 0, secured to or formed integral with the wheel E, is connected in the usual manner to an arm, 0, on one end of the shaft 0, and to the opposite end of said shaft there is secured another arm, 0 provided with hollowed seats, as shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 2. The purpose of this last-described mechanism is to force the eye-pin or mandrel into the ax-p'oll. The sliding hub F is moved into gear with the lugs e on thegear-wheel E by means of bent lever P, which is pivoted, as at p, to the bottom part of the machine.

The weight of the horizontal arm P of said lever, when it is released from its catch-piece,

serves to move the hub F toward the wheel E and interlock the lugs e andf. The vertical part of the lever P is bifurcated, so as to engage with studs f on the ringf, which runs in a circumferential groovein the hub F, as in the ordinary manner of such clutch-coupling devices. To the vertical part of the lever P side. The said Near the other end of there is pivoted, atp, a bent arm, Q, having an I is connected to the lever P by means of the springp and is provided witha stop, 1 which prevents the said spring from drawing the bent arm Q, downward beyond the position shown in Fig. 1. The lever P and arm Q are locked together, to move as one piece, by

means of apawhp pivoted to the lever P,

and arranged to engage with the shoulder g on the limb g. lVhenevcr the hub F is moved back out of gear, as shown in Fig. 1, the arm P is supported by acatch-pieee, 0', fixed to the longitudinal shaft 'I", which carries a treadle, R, that projects toward the front of the machine, and aeounter-weight, W, at its opposite An arm, 1"", secured to the outer end of the shalt 'r, is connected by the rod 4 to one end of the pawl 12 and the arrangement of the treadle 1t and its connected mechanism is such that a single depression of the said treadle will cause a simultaneous rcleasement of the lever P from the catch-piece r and the disengagement of the pawl p from the limb q. Whenever it is required to give a halfrevolution to the shaft D,'and cause the cranks d, d, and d to move the slides K and M in either the upward or downward phases oftheir motion, the operater will momentarily depress the treadle R to release the lever P and pawl 19, as above described. Then the weight of the arm P will cause the hub F to engage with the wheel E, so that the latter and the shaft D will move as one piece until the half-revolution of said shaft is accomplished. Then one of the spiral cams e (the one brought into action beingdependent on the position of the wheel at the time) will bear against the projecting end of the limb q to force back the lever P and automatically disengage the hub F from the wheel E, so as to stop the motion of the shaftD. If, for any reason, it, becomes desirable to continue the rotations of the shaft D beyond the half-revolution,t-he operator can, by continuing the pressure on the treadle R, keep the point of the pawl 19 from engaging with the limb q. Then as the cams 6 come around to bear against the end of the limb q the said cams will simply cause the bent arm Q to turn on the pivot 19, against the resistance of the springgfi, without moving the lever P to disengage the clutch-coupling; and it will. be observed that it is only when the pressure is removed from the treadle B, so that the counter-weight V will act upon the shaft 0" to restore the parts to the normal positions, and the pawl 12 engages with the limb q, thattheautomaticdisengagementoftheclutchcoupling can occur.

I am aware that mechanisms have been here tofore shown for making axes, such as in the patent to Stone, No. 699, of April 21, 1838; Morris, No. 44,232, of 1864, and Hurd, November 21, 1871; and I do not broadly claim the making of axes in whole or part by machinery; nor do I broadly claim the forma tion or shaping of the axes by means of dies, my process being limited to the particular steps specified and the order specified.

I claim as my invention- 1. In combination, a clamping mechanism adapted to compress the ax and straighten or partially form it, a reciprocating hammer for upsetting the head of the ax between and while it is held in the clamps, mechanism, substantially as described, for operating said clamping device and hammer, and a stop for arresting the hammer, all as set forth.

2. The combination, with the clamping-jaws Gr and their opening and closing mechanism, substantially as described, of the drop-hammer I, provided with a splitting-chisel, 1, arranged in relation to said clamping-jaws as herein set forth, and the mechanism described for arresting the motion of said hammer, as herein specified.

3. The combination, with the shaft 1), provided with the crank d of the slide M, provided with the die on and the bed-die at, both of said dies being provided with eye-pins m and guide flanges m and adapted to swage the inner and outer edges of an ax and the inside of the eye in the manner herein specified.

4. The combination, with the shaft D, the wheel E, provided with lugs e and cams c, and the hub F, titted to slide on the shaft D, and provided with lugs f, adapted to couple with the lugs e, as herein described, of the automatic disengaging device herein set forth, and consisting of a bent lever, P, connected, as described, to the hub F, and provided with a projecting limb, q, adapted to engage with the cams e for the purpose of disengaging the lugs e and fon the completion of each half-revolution of the shaft D, as herein specified.

5. The combination, with the bent lever I for operating the coupling mechanism of the shaft D and wheel E, as herein set forth, of the bent'arm Q, pivoted to the lever P, the pawlp adapted to lock the lever P and arm Q together, as herein described, and disengaging mechanism, substantially as described, for releasing the pawl 19 from the shoulder q as and for the purpose specified.

6. In an ax-forging machine, the combination, with the shafts B and D, arranged in relation to each other and to operate as herein setforth, of the following mechanisms: the poll splitting mechanism consisting of the clamping-jaws G and the splitting-hammer I, the head and sides swaging mechanism consisting of thejaw-dies K, slides K, and drophammcr L, the edge and eye swaging mechanism consisting of the slide M and dies at and m, provided with eye-pins m and guide-flanges m and the bit finishing and refining mechanism consisting of the drop-hammer N and anvil-block n all beingeonstructed and arranged to operate as herein specified.

7. The described mechanism for forming the edges of an ax, consisting of a pair of dies, m m, with pins and flanges, as described, and mechanism for reciprocating one of said dies, the parts being combined and operating substantially as described.

8. In an ax-making machine, and in combination, a main shaft carrying wipers, hammers operated by said wipers, a crank-shaft connected thereto by fast and loose gearing, and a clutch, devices for moving said clutch, substantially as described, whereby the crankshaft may be connected to the main shaft and disconnected automatically, and clamping or swaging mechanism connected to the intermittent shaft, substantially as described.

9. In an ax-making machine, and in combination, a main shaft carrying wipers, hammers a, Z, and i, operated by said wipers, devices for arresting the hammers at will, a crank-shaft, I), and the last and loose gears E E, clutch mechanism capable of being thrown into gear by the operator and of being released automatically on half-revolution ot' the crank-shaft, the finishing-hammer, clamping devices, and edge-finishing devices and their connecting and operating mechanisms, all substantially as described.

ETHAN ROGERS.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM H. Low, WM. II. KING. 

